Lambert, Miller, and White family collection
Collection
Identifier: L476
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of correspondence, diaries, and business papers of the Lambert, Miller, and White family, in Greensburg, Indiana and Washington, D.C., and other places in the United States and Europe, ranging from 1824 to 1968. The bulk of the correspondence is between Paschal T. and Elizabeth Lambert and their children and grandchildren, but there are also letters from Elizabeth's Saunders relatives in Iowa, Kentucky, and Washington (1895-1950). The collection includes numerous papers, diaries, documents, photographs, publications, and ephemera from Paschal T. Lambert, his daughter Clara Lambert Miller, and her husband Oscar G. Miller. Of particular note are Paschal T. Lambert's reminiscences of his early childhood in Indiana (1900, undated); Oscar G. Miller's autograph book (1882-1896), scrapbook (1892-1954), and newspaper clippings (1900-1955); travel diaries and narratives concerning trips to Europe, Iowa, and the Western United States (1903-1935); and Greensburg Chautauqua programs on hand fans (1915-1924).
The collection also contains legal and real estate documents from Paschal T. Lambert and Oscar Miller relating to their work as an abstractor and lawyer in Decatur County, Indiana. The documents include an 1839 sale for an enslaved woman named Becky and her daughters, Becky and Nancy from Lexington, Kentucky; documents regarding a legal dispute between Edward Ricketts and Richard Mausey (1840-1848); documents regarding Kitty Blackwell v. William Blackwell and John Blackwell (1867-1869); Bailey Johnson estate documents (1863-1866); documents of the Pearce and Hamilton families (1834-1914); and other indentures, estate documents, and abstracts of title for real estate in Decatur County (1840-1921). Oscar Miller's documents include tax receipts, indentures, estate documents (1824-1949); abstracts of title for property located in the Cherokee Nation, Indiana Territory that became Craig County, Oklahoma (1906-1910); delinquent tax lists from Evansville and Vanderburgh County, Indiana and lists of properties purchased by Miller and Zoller (1899-1904).
The collection also contains legal and real estate documents from Paschal T. Lambert and Oscar Miller relating to their work as an abstractor and lawyer in Decatur County, Indiana. The documents include an 1839 sale for an enslaved woman named Becky and her daughters, Becky and Nancy from Lexington, Kentucky; documents regarding a legal dispute between Edward Ricketts and Richard Mausey (1840-1848); documents regarding Kitty Blackwell v. William Blackwell and John Blackwell (1867-1869); Bailey Johnson estate documents (1863-1866); documents of the Pearce and Hamilton families (1834-1914); and other indentures, estate documents, and abstracts of title for real estate in Decatur County (1840-1921). Oscar Miller's documents include tax receipts, indentures, estate documents (1824-1949); abstracts of title for property located in the Cherokee Nation, Indiana Territory that became Craig County, Oklahoma (1906-1910); delinquent tax lists from Evansville and Vanderburgh County, Indiana and lists of properties purchased by Miller and Zoller (1899-1904).
Dates
- 1824-1968
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Biographical Note
Paschal T. Lambert was born May 24, 1831, to John and Lucinda Lambert in Marion County, Indiana. After the death of his parents in 1842, he moved to Decatur County to live with relatives. In 1853, Lambert moved to Albia, Iowa, and married Elizabeth Saunders on September 3, 1857. They had six children, but only three of their daughters--Sue (1858-1940), LaZena (1863-1933), and Clara (1866-1955) --lived to adulthood. The family moved back to Greensburg, Indiana, in 1876. Paschal Lambert was a well-known and respected resident of Greensburg and for many years worked as an abstractor of titles. He died at the age of 85 on December 29, 1916.
Elizabeth Saunders was born on September 26, 1833, to Captain James and Cynthia Saunders in Decatur County, Indiana. She moved with her family to Albia, Iowa in 1855. The Saunders were a large family and included sons Henry, Robert, Miles, Newton, William and Jesse, and daughters, Susan, Elizabeth, and Mary. Susan (1828-1903) married Robert A. Hamilton and Mary (1838-1919) married Nathan Hendrix. Elizabeth Saunders Lambert died on June 5, 1921.
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Sue Lambert was born on July 10, 1858, to Elizabeth (Saunders) (1833-1921) and Paschal T. Lambert (1831-1916). She was active in her community and also worked as an abstractor of titles. After the death of her parents, she made her home with her sister Clara. She passed away at the age of 81 on April 16, 1940.
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Clara Lambert was born November 7, 1866, to Elizabeth (Saunders) (1833-1921) and Paschal T. Lambert (1831-1916) in Albia, Iowa and moved with her family to Greensburg, Indiana in 1876. She married Oscar G. Miller on May 30, 1895, and they had three daughters: Margaret (1898-1987), Dorothea (1901-1990), and Eleanor (1905-2000). Oscar Miller was born on April 21, 1866, in Rush County, Indiana to Augustus and Celia Miller. He was a graduate of DePauw University and began practicing law in 1891. Clara Lambert Miller suffered several bouts of serious illness throughout her life, spending time in the hospital. She died on October 13, 1950, and Oscar on December 23, 1957.
Margaret Miller was born March 8, 1898, to Clara (Lambert) and Oscar G. Miller and attended Elmira College in New York. She worked for the Indiana State Welfare Department and was a lecturer at Indiana University. She married Michael Smirnoff in 1944. She died on April 7, 1987 in Bradenton, Florida.
Dorothea Miller was born January 1, 1901, to Clara (Lambert) and Oscar G. Miller and was a high school librarian. She attended Elmira College, the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and received her masters degree from Columbia University. She died at the age of 89 on July 27, 1990.
Eleanor Miller was born February 10, 1905, to Clara (Lambert) and Oscar G. Miller and became a school teacher after attending Elmira College. She married Charles S. Cox, Sr. in 1932 and they had two sons. She moved to the Washington D.C. area in 1938 and lived there until her death on November 15, 2000.
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Lazena "Zene" Lambert was born September 28, 1863, to Elizabeth (Saunders) (1833-1921) and Paschal T. Lambert (1831-1916) in Albia, Iowa. She married Edward M. White on August 12, 1889, and they had three sons: Paul (1890-1922), Donald S. (1892-1956), and Hal S. (1893-1962(. She died on August 11, 1933. Her husband, Edward M. White, was born April 7, 1861, in Decatur County to Isaac and Caroline White. He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School and began practicing law in Muncie, Indiana. For four years White held a legal position with the federal government after being appointed by President Benjamin Harrison and also served as assistant attorney general of Indiana for sixteen years. Edward White died on August 1, 1934.
Paul White was born July 21, 1890, to Lazena (Lambert) (1863-1933) and Edward M. White (1861-1934) in Greensburg. He graduated from Bowdoin College in Maine and taught at the University of Pennsylvania before serving in World War I as an aide-de-camp on the staff of General Hale. He married Helen Van Keuren, a World War I nurse, in 1819. Following the war, he was a professor at Yale University for two years. He and Helen had one daughter, Anne (1921-2010), before he died of appendicitis at the age of 32 on August 25, 1922.
Donald S. White was born on March 29, 1892, to Lazena (Lambert) (1863-1933) and Edward M. White (1861-1934) in Washington, D.C. He was a 1916 graduate of Bowdoin College and studied for a year on a Longfellow scholarship at Princeton University. 1n 1917, he enlisted in the American Field Service driving an ambulance for the French Army. After the United States entered World War I, he enlisted with the American forces and was one of the few Americans who flew over the front. He had a long career with the United States government, working overseas in many locations including Austria, Germany, England, and Scotland. He married his brother Paul's widow, Helen, and they had a daughter, Cynthia (1931-2004). He died on February 15, 1956.
Hal S. White was born October 16, 1893 on March 29, 1892 at Greensburg. He earned an A.B. degree from Bowdoin College, and a degree from Oxford University, England. He was a professor in the English department at New York University, New York City for thirty two years. He married Margaret "Peggy" Marshall and they had one daughter, Judith (1931-1971). They divorced and he later married Barbara O'Connell. He died on July 11, 1962.
Sources:
Ancestry.com. "Clara Miller." Indiana Death Certificates, 1899-2011. Accessed May 1, 2017. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Hal Saunders White." U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942.. Accessed May 2, 2017. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Judith P. Fleck." California Death Index, 1940-1997. Accessed May 2, 2017. http://search.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Mary K. Hendrix." Washington Select Death Certificates, 1907-1960. Accessed May 1, 2017. http://wwww.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Oscar G. Miller." Indiana Death Certificates, 1899-2011. Accessed May 1, 2017. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Paul L. White." Pennsylvania Death Certificates, 1906-1964. Accessed May 2, 2017. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
"Death Claims Donald White: Descendant of Pioneer Families." Greensburg Daily News (IN), March 10, 1956.
"Dorothea H. Miller, 89." Greensburg Daily News (IN), July 28, 1990.
"E. M. White is Dead in Connecticut." Greensburg Daily News (IN), August 2, 1934.
"Eleanor M. Cox." Washington Post, November 18, 2000.
Findagrave.com. "Paschal T. Lambert." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed February 3, 2026. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/48123198/paschal-t-lambert.
"Indianapolis Woman Dies Here Friday." Greensburg Daily News (IN), August 12, 1933.
"Margaret Miller Smirnoff, 89." Greensburg Daily News (IN), April 11, 1987.
"Miss Lambert Passes Away." Greensburg Daily News (IN), April 16, 1940.
"Mrs. P.T. Lambert, Member of Old Family is Dead." Greensburg Daily News (IN), June 6, 1921.
"Oscar G. Miller, Barrister, Dies." Rushville Republican (IN), December 23, 1957.
"P.T. Lambert Dead After Long Illness." Greensburg Standard (IN), December 29, 1916.
"Prof Hal S. White Dies In New York." Indianapolis Star (IN), July 16, 1962.
"The Pioneers. Our Oldest Citizens, Who Made This Country What It Is." Greensburg Standard (IN), January 11, 1907.
"Weddings and Engagements." Indianapolis Star (IN), January 30, 1944.
"Well Known Man Dies in the East." Greensburg Daily News (IN), August 25, 1922.
Elizabeth Saunders was born on September 26, 1833, to Captain James and Cynthia Saunders in Decatur County, Indiana. She moved with her family to Albia, Iowa in 1855. The Saunders were a large family and included sons Henry, Robert, Miles, Newton, William and Jesse, and daughters, Susan, Elizabeth, and Mary. Susan (1828-1903) married Robert A. Hamilton and Mary (1838-1919) married Nathan Hendrix. Elizabeth Saunders Lambert died on June 5, 1921.
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Sue Lambert was born on July 10, 1858, to Elizabeth (Saunders) (1833-1921) and Paschal T. Lambert (1831-1916). She was active in her community and also worked as an abstractor of titles. After the death of her parents, she made her home with her sister Clara. She passed away at the age of 81 on April 16, 1940.
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Clara Lambert was born November 7, 1866, to Elizabeth (Saunders) (1833-1921) and Paschal T. Lambert (1831-1916) in Albia, Iowa and moved with her family to Greensburg, Indiana in 1876. She married Oscar G. Miller on May 30, 1895, and they had three daughters: Margaret (1898-1987), Dorothea (1901-1990), and Eleanor (1905-2000). Oscar Miller was born on April 21, 1866, in Rush County, Indiana to Augustus and Celia Miller. He was a graduate of DePauw University and began practicing law in 1891. Clara Lambert Miller suffered several bouts of serious illness throughout her life, spending time in the hospital. She died on October 13, 1950, and Oscar on December 23, 1957.
Margaret Miller was born March 8, 1898, to Clara (Lambert) and Oscar G. Miller and attended Elmira College in New York. She worked for the Indiana State Welfare Department and was a lecturer at Indiana University. She married Michael Smirnoff in 1944. She died on April 7, 1987 in Bradenton, Florida.
Dorothea Miller was born January 1, 1901, to Clara (Lambert) and Oscar G. Miller and was a high school librarian. She attended Elmira College, the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and received her masters degree from Columbia University. She died at the age of 89 on July 27, 1990.
Eleanor Miller was born February 10, 1905, to Clara (Lambert) and Oscar G. Miller and became a school teacher after attending Elmira College. She married Charles S. Cox, Sr. in 1932 and they had two sons. She moved to the Washington D.C. area in 1938 and lived there until her death on November 15, 2000.
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Lazena "Zene" Lambert was born September 28, 1863, to Elizabeth (Saunders) (1833-1921) and Paschal T. Lambert (1831-1916) in Albia, Iowa. She married Edward M. White on August 12, 1889, and they had three sons: Paul (1890-1922), Donald S. (1892-1956), and Hal S. (1893-1962(. She died on August 11, 1933. Her husband, Edward M. White, was born April 7, 1861, in Decatur County to Isaac and Caroline White. He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School and began practicing law in Muncie, Indiana. For four years White held a legal position with the federal government after being appointed by President Benjamin Harrison and also served as assistant attorney general of Indiana for sixteen years. Edward White died on August 1, 1934.
Paul White was born July 21, 1890, to Lazena (Lambert) (1863-1933) and Edward M. White (1861-1934) in Greensburg. He graduated from Bowdoin College in Maine and taught at the University of Pennsylvania before serving in World War I as an aide-de-camp on the staff of General Hale. He married Helen Van Keuren, a World War I nurse, in 1819. Following the war, he was a professor at Yale University for two years. He and Helen had one daughter, Anne (1921-2010), before he died of appendicitis at the age of 32 on August 25, 1922.
Donald S. White was born on March 29, 1892, to Lazena (Lambert) (1863-1933) and Edward M. White (1861-1934) in Washington, D.C. He was a 1916 graduate of Bowdoin College and studied for a year on a Longfellow scholarship at Princeton University. 1n 1917, he enlisted in the American Field Service driving an ambulance for the French Army. After the United States entered World War I, he enlisted with the American forces and was one of the few Americans who flew over the front. He had a long career with the United States government, working overseas in many locations including Austria, Germany, England, and Scotland. He married his brother Paul's widow, Helen, and they had a daughter, Cynthia (1931-2004). He died on February 15, 1956.
Hal S. White was born October 16, 1893 on March 29, 1892 at Greensburg. He earned an A.B. degree from Bowdoin College, and a degree from Oxford University, England. He was a professor in the English department at New York University, New York City for thirty two years. He married Margaret "Peggy" Marshall and they had one daughter, Judith (1931-1971). They divorced and he later married Barbara O'Connell. He died on July 11, 1962.
Sources:
Ancestry.com. "Clara Miller." Indiana Death Certificates, 1899-2011. Accessed May 1, 2017. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Hal Saunders White." U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942.. Accessed May 2, 2017. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Judith P. Fleck." California Death Index, 1940-1997. Accessed May 2, 2017. http://search.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Mary K. Hendrix." Washington Select Death Certificates, 1907-1960. Accessed May 1, 2017. http://wwww.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Oscar G. Miller." Indiana Death Certificates, 1899-2011. Accessed May 1, 2017. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Paul L. White." Pennsylvania Death Certificates, 1906-1964. Accessed May 2, 2017. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
"Death Claims Donald White: Descendant of Pioneer Families." Greensburg Daily News (IN), March 10, 1956.
"Dorothea H. Miller, 89." Greensburg Daily News (IN), July 28, 1990.
"E. M. White is Dead in Connecticut." Greensburg Daily News (IN), August 2, 1934.
"Eleanor M. Cox." Washington Post, November 18, 2000.
Findagrave.com. "Paschal T. Lambert." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed February 3, 2026. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/48123198/paschal-t-lambert.
"Indianapolis Woman Dies Here Friday." Greensburg Daily News (IN), August 12, 1933.
"Margaret Miller Smirnoff, 89." Greensburg Daily News (IN), April 11, 1987.
"Miss Lambert Passes Away." Greensburg Daily News (IN), April 16, 1940.
"Mrs. P.T. Lambert, Member of Old Family is Dead." Greensburg Daily News (IN), June 6, 1921.
"Oscar G. Miller, Barrister, Dies." Rushville Republican (IN), December 23, 1957.
"P.T. Lambert Dead After Long Illness." Greensburg Standard (IN), December 29, 1916.
"Prof Hal S. White Dies In New York." Indianapolis Star (IN), July 16, 1962.
"The Pioneers. Our Oldest Citizens, Who Made This Country What It Is." Greensburg Standard (IN), January 11, 1907.
"Weddings and Engagements." Indianapolis Star (IN), January 30, 1944.
"Well Known Man Dies in the East." Greensburg Daily News (IN), August 25, 1922.
Extent
2.6 Cubic Feet (8 manuscript boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in the following series:
Series 1: Family correspondence and papers, 1831-1940, undated
Series 2: Clara L. and Oscar G. Miller family correspondence and papers, 1885-1958, undated
Series 3: Business and legal papers, 1824-1949
Series 4: Publications and pamphlets, 1888-1968, undated
Series 1: Family correspondence and papers, 1831-1940, undated
Series 2: Clara L. and Oscar G. Miller family correspondence and papers, 1885-1958, undated
Series 3: Business and legal papers, 1824-1949
Series 4: Publications and pamphlets, 1888-1968, undated
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation from Dorothea Miller on 1969/06/30 and Margaret M. Smirnoff on 1970/07/09.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2017/05/15 by Laura Eliason. EAD finding aid created 2017/05/15 by Laura Eliason. Collection reprocessing completed 2026/02/04 by Brittany Kropf. EAD finding aid revised 2026/02/04 by Brittany Kropf.
- Abstracts of title
- Autograph albums
- Business records
- Chautauquas
- Clippings
- Correspondence
- Decatur County (Ind.)
- Deeds
- Description and travel
- Diaries
- Diseases
- Europe -- Description and travel -- 20th century
- Family history
- Greensburg (Ind.)
- Indentures
- Indiana -- Social life and customs
- Legal documents
- Newsletters
- Pamphlets
- Paper money
- Photographs
- Real estate management -- Indiana
- Receipts (Acknowledgements)
- Scrapbooks
- United States -- Description and travel -- 19th century
- United States -- Description and travel -- 20th century
Creator
- Lambert, Elizabeth Helen Saunders, 1833-1921 (Person)
- Lambert, Paschal T., 1831-1916 (Person)
- Lambert, Sue, 1858-1940 (Person)
- Miller, Clara Lambert, 1866-1950 (Person)
- Miller, Oscar G., 1866-1957 (Person)
- White, Lazena Lambert, 1863-1933 (Person)
- White, Edward M., 1861-1934 (Person)
- Lambert family (Family)
- Miller family (Family)
- White family (Family)
- Title
- Lambert, Miller, and White family collection
- Status
- Under Revision
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
